I love how all the comments on the Google Code shutdown post are whiny "noooo please don't do this think of all the projects that will be lost! Waaaahh!!" If it's a project that anyone at all cares about (i.e. Someone actually uses it), there's bound to be copies floating around. And since they're open source...

I wonder if it makes sense for the BBC to receive its licence fee in more of a 'pay wall' kind of way, and for international viewers to be allowed to pay it too. The caveat could be that the BBC is British and we probably want it to feel pressure to appeal to Brits first and foremost, which may change if their funding came from the whole world. But the main thing for me is that they remain ad-free

Once I took PayPal to the Financial Ombudsman, I received a message from PayPal's Office of Executive Escalations. Made my day

They then took the whole four weeks that they were allowed to take, but finally offered me the £30 I wanted "in full and final resolution". I've accepted that. It's good that they didn't try and re-process the original transaction, because the exchange rates have gone in Japan's favour and I would have lost out by a further £15 at least (or when I look today, a further £70 nearly!).

Just goes to show - if you feel there was genuine unfairness at work (you're not just trying to fight for the sake of it), it's worth fighting these things

I also reminded them that adjusting their systems to offer the choice of funding source with each payment would ingratiate them towards customers and increase their user base, helping everyone, especially in today's world where it's never been easier to warn other consumers. I mentioned to them that even Ryanair are making an effort They thanked me for the feedback.

AirBNB do not fall under the Financial Ombudsman's jurisdiction, so... well... that fight hasn't been had. But that was more of a meta-fight. You know, an "I've just realised I'm behaving like a social justice warrior" kind of fight.